Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-12-21
vERlTARLE HELL HOLES,

The Dena of Vice in the Pine Woods OF
Northern Wisconsin.
Minneapolis journal: $50 the Wis.,
consin ofi,iala soy the reports about
the vile dena in the northern pa.t Of
that state are exaggerated and with
little foundation ?" said gentleman to-
day who has recently returned from that
district. "Well, the Wisconsin officials
are guilty OF ialsehood, or else they do
not know what they are talking about.n
The gentleman referred to has been
connected with the 800" road for the
past two years. The greater part of that
time has been passe IN the midst of the
scenes OF which the little that is known
has caused people to shudder. He has
had opportunities to become acquainted
with the situation suoh few men have
had, and his thoughtfulnsss is beyond
question.
= have been connected with the con-
struction OF roads through new territory
all my life" he went on, "bus / never
saw anything that compares with the
hell-holes OF northern Wisconsin. The
newspapers reports have not been exag.
gerated simply because those places
two minor points.
81 don't think that 30 many young
girls are taken into that country as there
we're" The agitation IN regard to 1t has
made them somewhat wary. but O great
many innocent girls are taken there vet,
A few weeks in one OF those towns will go
change woman that there will be-
scarcely trace left OF what she was be-
fore she went there.
Before the fire, Hurley was probably
the worst town on the continent. have
been in the worst mining and constrnc.
tion camps, but they are not to be com.
pared with Hurley aH it was. There was
one block composed wholly OF saloons
and two-thirds OF the buildings in the
towns were saloons, dance houses and
gambling houses. There was no pretense
OF law and order. The worst dives were
located on the outskirts. These were
| ususlly frame buildings and comprised d
saloon and q long dance hall. The latter
opened into corridor having number
of rooms on either side. These dena
are nearly always surrounded by high
board fence. The majority of the womon
in these vile sinks are the wretched
creatures who are cast out OF the lowest
dens OF the CITY. Occasionally young
girl is found among them.
In Hurley, Ashland, Diamond City
and the other vile holes, the variety
tbeaters are the worst places. The girl
are not Imprisoned or kept under ,locl
and key, as people have been led to sup
pose. They imprihon them in . di1feren,
way. Girls ere induced to come theY,
by biz salary. When they arrive the,
are fined for every little thing. In fac
the fines keep them without money mai
they cannot get saay. It is common
thing for women to sell the clothes from
their backs to get money to get ont o
the town. Then . great many womel
are ruined in these variety theaterl
They take girls who are pura but ignor
} ant, drug them and induce them to n
to the ethestre. There they are ruined
When the brute does thing OF ga
sort be goes out and tells his fsienda
Then they surround the poor stupid Ril
and torment her. have known Of case
whore they heye taken every strip o
clothing from \ girl and made menv Z
her Many gin iss dacsd to 20 int
y those deps who hM better hare die